2nd Maccabees Chapter 10

The Purification of the Temple

10:1 Now Judas Maccabaeusיהודה המכבי
romanized: Yehudah HaMakabi Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabaeus /mækəˈbiːəs/, also spelled Maccabeus was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE). The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (“Dedication”) commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after Judah Maccabee removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it. For more info click here and his associates, under YAHWEH יְהֹוָה‎
Hebrew Yəhōwā, one vocalization of the Tetragrammaton יהוה‎ (YHWH), the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. It is considered one of the seven names of God in Judaism and a form of God’s name in Christianity. Covenant making covenant keeping GOD. For more info click here‘s guidance, recovered the Temple and the city;
10:2 they tore down the altars that had been built in the market place by the nationsהַגּוֹיִם‎
Hebrew Noun: Common Masculine Plural Absolute (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts:—the Gentiles, the heathen, the nations, the people. For more info click here , and also they pulled down the shrines, .
10:3 And having cleansed the sanctuary they built another altar, striking fire out of flint, and offered a sacrifice after two years, and set out incense, and lights, and showbreadלחם הפנים
Leḥem haPānīm, literally: “Bread of the Faces”, in the King James Version: shewbread, in a biblical or Jewish context, refers to the cakes or loaves of bread which were always present, on a specially-dedicated table, in the Temple in Jerusalem as an offering to God. An alternative, and more appropriate, translation would be presence bread, since the Bible requires that the bread be constantly in the presence of God .
10:4 When that was done, they prostrated themselves on the ground, and begged YAHWEH יְהֹוָה‎
Hebrew Yəhōwā, one vocalization of the Tetragrammaton יהוה‎ (YHWH), the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. It is considered one of the seven names of God in Judaism and a form of God’s name in Christianity. Covenant making covenant keeping GOD. For more info click here to never again let them fall into such troubles; but if they should ever sin against him anymore, they might be disciplined by him with mercy, and that they might not be delivered unto the blasphemous and barbarous nations.
10:5 It so happened that on the same day on which the sanctuary had been profaned by the nationsהַגּוֹיִם‎
Hebrew Noun: Common Masculine Plural Absolute (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts:—the Gentiles, the heathen, the nations, the people. For more info click here, on the very same day it was cleansed again, even the twentieth-fifth day of the same month, that is Casleu (or Kislev).
10:6 And they kept the eight festal days with gladness, like in the feast of the tabernaclesהַסֻּכּוֹת
Transliteration: miškān dwelling place, tent, tabernacle, shelters, booths For more info click here, remembering how, not long before at the time of the feast of the tabernaclesהַסֻּכּוֹת
Transliteration: miškān dwelling place, tent, tabernacle, shelters, booths For more info click here, they had been living in the mountains and dens like animals.
10:7 Then they carried thyrses, and leafy branches, and fronds of palms too, and offered psalms to Him that had brought the cleansing of his own holyקָדְשׁוֹ‎
Transliteration qōḏeš Pronunciation ko’-desh a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity:—consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, (× most) holy (× day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary. For more info click here place to a successful outcome.
10:8 They decreed by public edict, ratified by vote, That whole nation of the Jews should celebrate those days every year.*‎ For this feast, Hanukkah see 1 Macc 4:59. This is the end of the first section of the book, of which one of the principal aims is to make this feast obligatory for all Jews see the two preliminary letters 1-2. the second section ends similarly with an invitation to celebrate the Day of Nicanor 2 Macc 13:36 – From the New Jerusalem Bible

VI The Struggle of Judas against the Neighboring people and against Lysias, Minister of Antiochus V

Reign of Antiochus V: early years

10:9 And this was the end of Antiochus, called Epiphanes.
10:10 Now will we reveal the story of Antiochus Eupator, who was the son of this godless man, and will give a brief summary to describe the evil effects of the wars.
10:11 On coming to the throne, he put Lysias as head of the affairs of his realm, and appointed him his chief governor of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia.
10:12 Because Ptolemy, Also know as Macron, the first person to govern the Jews justly because of the wrong that had been done to them, in order to continue peaceful relations with them.
10:13 As a result he was accused before Eupator by the Friends of the King, and called traitor at every turn because he had abandoned Cyprus, that Philometor had entrusted to him, for having gone over to Antiochus Epiphanes, and seeing that he was in no honorable place, he was so discouraged, that he committed suicide by poisoning himself.

Gorgias and the Idumaean fortress

10:14 The Gorgias became governor of the area, he hired mercenaries, and continually attacked the Jews:
10:15 And at the same time the Idumeans, who had control of important fortresses, kept the Jews occupied, and welcoming outlaws from Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלַם‎
Transliteration: yᵊrûšālam – Pronunciation: yer-oo-shaw-lah’-im – proper locative noun meaning “teaching of peace” or possession of peace – also called the city of David and Zion – the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split For more info click here, in an effort to maintain a state of war.
10:16  Maccabaeusיהודה המכבי
romanized: Yehudah HaMakabi Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabaeus /mækəˈbiːəs/, also spelled Maccabeus was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE). The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (“Dedication”) commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after Judah Maccabee removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it. For more info click here and his men after making public prayer to Elohimאֱלֹהִים
romanized: ʾĔlōhīm: [(ʔ)eloˈ(h)im]), the plural of אֱלוֹהַּ‎ (ʾĔlōah), is a Hebrew word meaning “gods”. Although the word is plural, in the Hebrew Bible it most often takes singular verbal or pronominal agreement and refers to a single deity particularly the God of Israel In other verses it refers to the singular gods of other nations or to deities in the plural A name for GOD — God The Creator. For more info click here to fight on their side; and so they began operations against the fortresses of the Idumeans,
10:17 Attacking them vigorously, they gained possession of the fortresses, and defeated all that fought on the wall, and massacred all those they caught, and killed no fewer than twenty thousand.
10:18 No less than nine thousand took shelter in two very strong towers with everything they needed to withstand a siege.
10:19 Judas Maccabaeusיהודה המכבי
romanized: Yehudah HaMakabi Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabaeus /mækəˈbiːəs/, also spelled Maccabeus was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE). The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (“Dedication”) commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after Judah Maccabee removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it. For more info click here left Simonשִׁמְעוֹן הַתַּסִּי
Šīməʿōn haTassī; died 135 BC The name “Thassi” has a connotation of “the Wise”, a title which can also mean “the Director”, “the Guide”, “the Man of Counsel”, and “the Zealous”. This Simon is also sometimes distinguished as Simon the Hasmonean, Simon Maccabee, or (from Latin) Simon Maccabeus. For more info click here and Josephיוֹסֵף‎
Yosef Meaning: Yaweh will add, God will add, taken away or praise, fame taken away. For more info click here, and Zaccheus also, and those that were with him, a force sufficient to attack them, and himself went off to other places requiring his attention.
10:20 But those with Simonשִׁמְעוֹן הַתַּסִּי
Šīməʿōn haTassī; died 135 BC The name “Thassi” has a connotation of “the Wise”, a title which can also mean “the Director”, “the Guide”, “the Man of Counsel”, and “the Zealous”. This Simon is also sometimes distinguished as Simon the Hasmonean, Simon Maccabee, or (from Latin) Simon Maccabeus. For more info click here, were greedy for money, were bribed by some of those who were in the towers, and took seventy thousand drachmas, and let some of them escape.
10:21 But when Maccabaeusיהודה המכבי
romanized: Yehudah HaMakabi Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabaeus /mækəˈbiːəs/, also spelled Maccabeus was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE). The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (“Dedication”) commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after Judah Maccabee removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it. For more info click here was told what happened, he called the leaders of the people together, and accused those men, that they had sold their brethren for money by setting their enemies free to fight against them.
10:22 Then he killed the men who had turned traitor, and immediately captured both towers.
10:23 Successful in all took on himself by force, he slaughtered in these two fortresses over twenty thousand men.*‎ Known to be an exaggerated figure see verse 18 – From the New Jerusalem Bible

Judas defeats Timotheus and captures Gezer

10:24 Now Timotheus (Timothy), who had been beaten by the Jews once before, assembled a great a huge force of mercenaries, and cavalry out of Asia in large numbers, He attacked, intending to take Judeaיהודה‎
(Yəhūda Greek: Ἰουδαία Latin: Iudaea) or Judaea – a mountainous region of the Levant. Traditionally dominated by the city of Jerusalem, it is now part of Palestine and Israel. The name Judea is a Greek and Roman adaptation of the name “Judah”, which originally encompassed the territory of the Israelite tribe of that name and later of the ancient Kingdom of Judah. For more info click here by violence.
10:25 But when he came close, Maccabaeusיהודה המכבי
romanized: Yehudah HaMakabi Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabaeus /mækəˈbiːəs/, also spelled Maccabeus was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE). The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (“Dedication”) commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after Judah Maccabee removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it. For more info click here and his men turned to pray to Elohimאֱלֹהִים
romanized: ʾĔlōhīm: [(ʔ)eloˈ(h)im]), the plural of אֱלוֹהַּ‎ (ʾĔlōah), is a Hebrew word meaning “gods”. Although the word is plural, in the Hebrew Bible it most often takes singular verbal or pronominal agreement and refers to a single deity particularly the God of Israel In other verses it refers to the singular gods of other nations or to deities in the plural A name for GOD — God The Creator. For more info click here, and sprinkled dust on their heads, and putting sackcloth around their waists,
10:26 Falling on the steps in front of the altar, and begged Him to be merciful to them, and to be an enemy to their enemies, and an adversary to their adversaries, as the Torahתּוֹרָה‎
Tōrā,/ˈtɔːrə, ˈtoʊrə/; law, teaching, direction, instruction – The first five books of the Bible or also called “the books of Moses” comes from an archery term meaning to shoot. clearly states.
10:27 So after these prayers they armed themselves, and advanced a considerable distance from the city: stopping when they were close to their enemies.
10:28 As dawn was breaking, the two armies entered into battle; one having as pledge of success and victory not only their bravery but also their dependence on YAHWEH יְהֹוָה‎
Hebrew Yəhōwā, one vocalization of the Tetragrammaton יהוה‎ (YHWH), the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. It is considered one of the seven names of God in Judaism and a form of God’s name in Christianity. Covenant making covenant keeping GOD. For more info click here while the other made emotion their leader in the fight
10:29 When the battle became intense, the enemy saw five magnificent men appear in the heavensהַשָּׁמַיִם‎
Pronunciation: hah’-shaw-mah’-yim Hebrew Noun: Common Masculine Plural Absolute – the visible heavens, the abode of the stars like the visible universe, the sky, the atmosphere For more info click here on horses with golden bridles, and they were leading the Jews,
10:30 Surrounding Maccabaeusיהודה המכבי
romanized: Yehudah HaMakabi Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabaeus /mækəˈbiːəs/, also spelled Maccabeus was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE). The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (“Dedication”) commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after Judah Maccabee removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it. For more info click here and shielding him with their own armor, and kept him safe, They showered arrows and thunderbolts on the enemy: so that being bewildered with blindness, they scattered in complete chaos.
10:31 There were twenty thousand and five hundred infantry, and six hundred cavalry slaughtered.
10:32 As for Timotheus (Timothy) himself, he escaped into a fortress, called Gawra, where Chereas was governor.
10:33 For four days Maccabaeusיהודה המכבי
romanized: Yehudah HaMakabi Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabaeus /mækəˈbiːəs/, also spelled Maccabeus was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE). The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (“Dedication”) commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after Judah Maccabee removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it. For more info click here and his men attacked the fortress.
10:34 while the defenders, confident in the strength of the place, flung fierce blasphemies and godless insults at them.
10:35 At day break on the fifth day twenty young men of Maccabaeusיהודה המכבי
romanized: Yehudah HaMakabi Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabaeus /mækəˈbiːəs/, also spelled Maccabeus was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE). The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (“Dedication”) commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after Judah Maccabee removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it. For more info click here‘ forces, fired with anger because of the blasphemies, courageously assaulted the wall, and with savage fury cut down everyone they met.
10:36 Others who came up in the same way wheeled around against the defenders and set fire to the towers, burnt the towers, they started fires and burned the blasphemers alive.; Others broke open the gates and let in the rest of the force, and they occupied the city.
10:37 And killed Timotheus, who was hidden in a storage-well, and Chereas his brother, with Apollophanes.
10:38 When all this was over, they praised YAHWEH יְהֹוָה‎
Hebrew Yəhōwā, one vocalization of the Tetragrammaton יהוה‎ (YHWH), the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. It is considered one of the seven names of God in Judaism and a form of God’s name in Christianity. Covenant making covenant keeping GOD. For more info click here with psalms and thanksgiving, who has shown great kindness to Israel and has given them the victory.